Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability was initially rated as 0 percent prior to September 4, 2014 and remained at that rating from September 4, 2014. The Board denied the claim for a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss began in and has persisted since active service, granting his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's appeal was not timely filed as his VA Form 9, Appeal to Board of Veterans' Appeals, was received more than 60 days after the December 2013 SOC and within one year from the June 2012 decision.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been withdrawn, resulting in the dismissal of this matter.

The Veteran's claim to reopen his right ear sensorineural hearing loss was denied due to lack of new and material evidence. The left ear sensorineural hearing loss claim is being remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to his in-service exposure to significant acoustic trauma from shooting rifles. The claim of new and material evidence to reopen a previously denied claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is also granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to in-service acoustic trauma and granted service connection for this condition. The claim for bilateral hearing loss remains pending as there are no findings on remand yet.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that his claim for an increased rating has not been met.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted based on noise exposure during active duty.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus. The Veteran's current diagnoses of these conditions are considered, along with his credible reports of in-service noise exposure, and it is at least as likely as not that these disabilities are related to active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss disability is not related to his military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to fully and correctly adjudicate the claims on appeal, including obtaining National Guard service records, VA treatment records from October 2015 onward, and private medical treatment records. The case will be remanded for these actions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, verifying stressor events, and scheduling a VA examination to determine the etiology of his PTSD and hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has not been shown to be worse than Level I in the right ear or Level I in the left ear through qualifying audiology examinations. Those results fall within the schedular criteria for a noncompensable rating, and therefore, the criteria for a compensable rating have not been met.

The Veteran seeks to establish service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which he contends are due to acoustic trauma experienced during his military service. The appeal is being REMANDED to obtain VA treatment records and schedule the Veteran for a VA audiology examination in Puerto Rico.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to have its clinical onset during active service and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as his hearing impairment does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, right ear hearing loss, and allergic rhinitis. The Veteran's tinnitus is not related to his military service, but he had a current hearing loss disability in his right ear that began prior to his second period of active duty and improved during this period.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection has been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss, left knee instability, osteoarthritis of the left knee, limited extension of the left knee, right knee instability, osteoarthritis of the right knee, or limited extension of the right knee prior to the specified dates. Microcytic hypochromic anemia was not found to meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with previous directives. The Veteran is asked to provide information about when he first noticed difficulty hearing.